The Most Powerful Scent
by Ashe-Simon
Summary: Inspired by Happy's line in 1x20 Crossroads "I have worn perfume once in my life. Last night. And I won't do it again" Drabble about why Happy wore perfume and how Patrick and Happy's mom met


She had spent half her last pay check on all the clothes and shoes. She had looked up the restaurant Toby had chosen and realized that nothing in her closet were more than everyday work pieces. Comfortable, durable, tumble dry items. Shopping was inevitable as a result. The hour and a half she was at the mall felt like torture, overly friendly sales associates, screaming children, and the subtle crush of body odour mixed with various colognes. Not even the food court smells could fully drown it. When the ordeal was done and over with, a cold beer and her wrench set called to her, so she headed to her father's shop.

Over the past few months, she had continued wrenching at her dad's small auto body shop. Not much had changed since they both learned of their relationship, but every now and then he would open up about her mom. Little things at first, off handed comments about how like her mother she was, or what she'd think if she was there. Then small stories about things that had happened, like picnics on Sunday's when everything used to be closed. There were many things Happy learned about her, little things that added up into one big picture. Things like how she was a spitfire, could sass her father out, a total mess in the kitchen, loved daytime soaps, preferred basketball to baseball, how she would laugh and smile at the little things. She couldn't stand horror films. She would be content with cheap pizza and beer, wildflowers he would pick from the field on his way home from work, strong coffee and long drives talking about everything and nothing.

She knew her mother looked a lot like Happy, and that her namesake was formed during the pregnancy. Her mom used to say 'our happy baby' and one day, she got the hiccups, and every time she tried to say it, she couldn't get passed 'our happy—' before she'd hiccup. They had had a good laugh, and it had just kind of stuck after that, the expectant parents giggling saying 'our happy' the rest of the pregnancy. When her mom had died giving birth, her father had been murmuring that the whole while, and the nurse had taken that to be her name. The certificates had been filled out 'Happy' and it was too late to change it before the new widow understood what was happening.

When Happy told her father about her date with Toby, he could tell she was nervous.

Happy really only had 2 ex boyfriends. One when she was 19. She thought he was going to help her start up an auto body/mechanical repair shop. Turns out he just wanted to steal all their capital they had saved over a couple of months and other was right around the time she joined Scorpion, and it was more sex and a mutual love of machines that held them together. After a year or so they parted on somewhat amicable terms. She had a few casual flings since then (like with Payton Temple) but nothing serious. Toby was serious, which made her nervous.

Patrick took a few minutes to think about how to try and help his long lost daughter. Over the few months, he knew she was a fighter when the batter was physical. Emotionally, she was a runner. She would hide behind work, immerse herself in projects, or just generally avoid the topic whenever it came to something that she couldn't control that would emotionally scar. Not knowing what to say to help soothe her thoughts, he thought of a new story he could tell her. He told the story of his first date with her mother.

He was 23 and just starting out. She was 21, and had just graduated college with a degree in journalism. They met when her car broke down in the parking lot outside the grocery store, and he helped her get it started. They were sweating and laughing by the end of it, she asked him to dinner to thank him, and he graciously accepted.

Going in, he wasn't expecting much; a simple thank you dinner. He had arrived 5 minutes early, and she arrived 5 minutes late. When she first walked in, he didn't recognize her. She was completely transformed, a green dress and heels, hair down around her shoulders in soft waves. She walked over like she owned the place, smile on her face. She apologized for being late, and he was so blown away that he could barely reply. The dinner was a blur now, but he remembered her laugh. It was a great laugh, one he couldn't get enough of. He embarrassed himself the rest of the night trying to recall every funny story he could just to keep hearing it.

Not wanting the night to end just yet, she asked him to go for a walk in a nearby park, and he agreed. After a few minutes, he nervously reached for her hand and was rewarded when she laced her fingers with his. He wasn't expecting the softness and warmth, it was a nice contrast to his rough calloused fingers. It felt right resting in his. There was more laughter as they walked around the small enclosure and ended all too soon. They arrived at her car, and lingered over pleasantries. He leaned in to kiss her goodnight, and her scent hit him. It was subtle, he hadn't noticed it earlier. A soft spicy floral that suited her. It was when he knew that she was the one.

A year later he proposed. Three months after that they married at city hall. Three years later she was pregnant. 9 months later and she was gone. 5 years together total. He still loved her fiercely. Whenever he felt particularly lonely, he would take the perfume out, spritz a pillow with it, and hug it, remembering her. The mornings were both the best and the worst, because for a few brief moments he would wake up and it was like she was still there with him, before he would fully wake up and remember she was gone.

The father-daughter pair continued to wrench in silence for a bit after that, both lost in their own thoughts. It was Happy that broke the silence.

"Her perfume… you still have some?"

"Yeah," was Patrick's reply.

"Can I wear it on my date?" She tentatively asked. Her father stopped wrenching and smiled at her in the soft way he had. "Of course."


End file.
